Expressive FIGURES

I find drawing a figure from life exciting but intimidating. One is presented with such a wealth of visual information – and so little time in which to gather it. Success depends upon the ability to decide what is important, and to leave the rest out. I like taking sketches made in life sessions and using them as the basis for a painting. The drawing is my only record of my subject. With no tempting photo to copy, the studio painting is free to take on a life of its own.

As with a lot of my figure studies, I am looking to capture something of the essence of the form using a minimum of detail. I do this by shedding bright light on a few selected areas and allowing the rest to be cloaked in shadows.